Sands of Time
by GhostFae
Summary: Just thinking about the recent chain of events made her stomach churn. This was precisely why she did not accept espionage missions of any kind. As far as she was concerned, her luck was too terrible and seduction was definitely not her forte. However, they seemed to disagree. The mission had gone south…way south. (AU)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have a possible story floating around in my head nonstop and decided to see if anyone would be interested in reading.

Let me know if you would like to read more or if it is total BS.

(I re-edited this chapter since I posted it originally at 1am in its super rough stage.)

As always, the characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto . Enjoy!

* * *

Tears stained her cheeks as she sprinted through the canopy. Leaves barely rustled as she jumped from branch to branch. The air was thick and hot, even though the sun was well past its high point. Sweat dripped down her neck, causing one of her many injuries to sting. Blood was starting to soak through the scraps of clothes she had on. With a diagnosis, she was able to evaluate her state. A broken rib, a few minor lacerations, obvious bruising, tearing and blood loss. None of which she could afford to heal at this moment. Chakra was crucial at this point. A few womanly injuries and flesh wounds wouldn't kill her. Hinder her, yes. Kill, not so much. Her anxieties were growing along with the darkening shadows of the forest. The current situation was not looking very promising. She had reached the last portion of her chakra reserves and _they_ were still following her.

Two familiar malicious aura flared against the edge of her senses. The forest was quickly becoming saturated in them. Any living creature with decent instinct in a 10-mile radius had fled or gone into hiding. An eerie silence spread through the forest, making the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. Another sudden stab of pain in her thigh caused her to stumble. A branch snagged the already tattered shirt, ripping out a chunk of mesh. The newly revealed skin of her stomach burned as the material snagged a wound as well.

"Fuck!" She swore under her breath.

The last thing she needed was to leave evidence of her existence along with a fresh scent trail. All the weapons she had taken with her were gone. There had been no time to even think of grabbing any. She saw an opening when they became distracted and acted. It was the only chance she would have had. Just thinking about the recent chain of events made her stomach churn. This was precisely why she did not accept espionage missions of any kind. As far as she was concerned, her luck was too terrible and seduction was definitely not her forte. However, _they_ seemed to disagree.

The mission had gone south…way south. BAD. Very bad. It was not often that she abandoned the few missions she was given. This, however, was turning out to be a first for most things. Including the response time of her partner. It felt like hours since she had sent out the SOS.

 _He should have been here by now…Where is he?!_ She thought desperately. Quickly preforming another brief scan of her surroundings, she noticed the forest becoming denser. There seemed to be a light break in the trees. From there her journey would become more trying.

Fear began to work its way into her mind and mingle with her anxiety. It was not often that she needed help. This however, was definitely one of those rare times. Even she was intellectual enough to admit her shortcomings.

 _I need to get a handle on this situation._ She started a mental conversation with herself. Her injuries were catching up to her. The throbbing between her thighs and the bite marks were not helping any. She tried to push the more troublesome thoughts to the back of her mind. _I'll deal with that later._

Her balance slipped once more as a loud crack echoed throughout the forest. A sudden explosion in the distance knocked her onto a lower branch. The rough bark ripped into her hands as she righted herself. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, she took off. The bone chilling growl that followed shattered the silence and caused a heavy feeling to settle into the pit of her stomach.

Without a second thought she created a shadow clone and sent it in the opposite direction. With half of the reserve she had left, she was able to incorporate a chakra signature within the clone. The flickering signature would be enough to mimic her own chakra state. Aside from scent, there would be little to no way to distinguish between her and her clone. The perks to having perfect chakra control.

 _Fuck this damned mission. Fuck those damned Uchihas! Stupid Sharingan, Rinnegan, time travel. Alternate dimensions. Demon Rabbit Goddess, Jinchuuriki bullshit! All of it. I hate shinobis!_ She continued to herself.

She was completely out of her element now. The whole mission had been a mistake. Her lead on that damned snake had gone dry right before they had stumbled onto her…or her onto them. It had all happened way too fast. The diamond seal between her brows was faded now. The slight tingle informed her of its near depletion.

She was in foreign territory and her backup was missing. This mission had started out in Sand or near it. She had fled the village, run through a small sand storm at one point, and now she was in a forest. It had to have been over half a day of being chased. No, hunted.

 _How the fuck does your partner…your "cousin" as he so fondly dubs himself, go missing on a damned mission to a different dimension! Fuck. Those. Uchihas. Fuck Shisui. Fuck Itachi. It's his fault Shisui is able to use the_ _Jikūkan Ninjutsu. I am going to break their noses when I get my hands on them._ She cracked her bleeding knuckles at the thought.

A chunk of metal whizzed past her ear taking a lock of blonde hair with it. She dodged to the side quick enough to prevent anything crucial from being hit.

 _Damnit!_ Her face scrunched up in distain. _I got caught up in my thoughts and completely lost track of their positions._ She quickly gathered her composure.

The branch under her feet bowed with the sudden pressure of her leap. She dove to the underbrush and swiftly made the appropriate hand signs for a low level genjutsu. At least it would blur her position and hide her scent. Her reserves were out now. The diamond had completely faded and the band-like seals on her left forearm were starting to burn. That was definitely a reservoir she had no desire to tap into. A can of worms that hurt to think of.

The piece of metal buried into the tree across the clearing glinted in the fading sunlight. Seconds later it seemed to melt into pieces and shoot away. If the metal was any indication, she had a good idea of who she was going to have to deal with first. The other was most likely after her clone. There were enough shadows to give him the upper hand. She would have surely been captured by now otherwise.

 _He is going to be pissed when he realized that he was tricked by something as trivial as a shadow clone._ She knew the situation was serious, but she could not help but snicker to herself at the thought. _This feels so surreal…like a bad nightmare that I am having trouble waking up from. I am completely and utterly FUCKED! Damn, Hidan seems to have rubbed off on me a bit. Sensei is going to be less than pleased with my "crude and improper" language._

Her train of thought was interrupted by a rustle in the distance. She strained her eyes to see through the shrubbery as the sound of heavy breathing and a low rumble reached her ears. He was not even trying to hide his position at this point. He seemed to know she was close. His chakra flared violently causing a trickle of fresh fear to flare up her spine.

… _Shukaku?!_ She recognized the chakra signature now. Things were starting to slowly fall into place. The new puzzle pieces were causing her blood pressure to rise.

 _He wasn't supposed to have been a jinchuuriki! We did all the research, unless our intel had intentionally left out information or been compromised, this should not have been possible. I am screwed. There is no way I am going to get out of this…_

Her hand flew to the bloody bite mark at the junction between her neck and shoulder. The other to the bite mark on her inner thigh, near her femoral artery. She started to have a panic attack as the situation finally sunk home.

 _Those assholes marked me! Her hands tightened around the marks._ Fury chased away the fear and anxiety as it raced through her veins.

She knew enough about seals and jinchuuriki to understand that this was bad. Very bad. One mark was heard of. Given her past, her parentage in general, it was a likely outcome she would have had to face at some point. Two marks should not have been possible. The other shouldn't have been able to do this. She was sure he wasn't a jinchuuriki. Two marks should have never been possible. There wasn't a scroll or soul throughout the ages that mentioned otherwise. She felt hopeless.

The crunching of dried leaves was getting closer. The little hallow she had hid in was cold and dark. The sun had lowered to the horizon. Shadows were pitch black and the few straggling rays of sun did little to quell the ominous atmosphere. The sound of tiny metal particles moving along the forest floor grew louder. They were moving further away from their master in search of his prey.

 _He cannot smell me,_ she realized. _He is using his bloodline limit to try and feel me out. This must mean he cannot sense me through the mark either. Curious, since according to the scrolls, jinchuuriki could use the mark to find their chosen through time and space._ A bit of relief flooded her veins with the realization. _Of course not! The process was not exactly finished…. or reciprocated._

Her hands fell from their position as tears pricked her eyes once more. However, before they could fall, she viciously scrubbed at her cheeks. _I never cried. Never. Not once since he took me in. I am 25 years old. I am too old to cry. The Namikazes do not cry._ She tried to console herself. _I did not bite one of them. there is still a chance to fix this._

The metallic taste that lingered on her mouth was most likely from when she bit her tongue. The thought didn't seem to give her much hope though. There was a pressure along the edge of her conscious and a light throbbing at her inner thigh that suggested otherwise.

The crunching of foliage brought her back to the present. She stopped breathing and held her breath all together. The sun was gone now. A deep growl shattered the silence of the night once more.

"I know you are here," he growled out. "I think you are missing part of your…. shirt." He chuckled darkly as he threw the mesh rag onto the floor of the clearing. "You belong to us now, princess." There was a slight hint of barely suppressed rage lacing his words. "I intend to finish what we started."

From the hallow of the tree her body froze completely. The all too familiar pet name held an unspoken promise as it fell from his lips. It did nothing to conceal the blatant threat that followed. Ice crawled up her spine as fear once gripped her once more. She could make out his silhouette now. The iron sand moved slowly around his figure. It gathered to mimicking the form of a cloak. His fists clenched and unclenched as he scanned his surroundings. The distinct red paint of his face reflected the moon's glow as he cocked his head to the side. He moved his hand up and stroked something between his fingers as if deep in thought. The object shimmered in the moonlight. Her fallen lock of hair was wrapped around his fingers. The thought made something primal shift in her. It didn't seem as though he had transformed…yet. His chakra fluctuated dangerously back and forth between normal and demonic.

 _He was too close. Far too close._ Her spine stiffened with the growing threat. _I was almost free from this horrible nightmare! This was not how this mission was supposed to go down... At least there is only one of them. If there is only one, there may be some hope left._

She had yet to feel the distinct shock that came with the loss of one's clone. Of course, at that moment, she felt a sharp flare through her system. With the newly acquired memories from her clone, she had approximately 5 minutes before the other one made his appearance.

 _Double damn. I have to find a way out of here before the second one shows up._

It was cold and the deadly cocktail of blood loss, chakra depletion and shock were causing the edge of her vision to darken. In a last ditch attempt at survival, she groped around slowly at the ground. Her hand grasped a stone. She chucked the stone into the distance. The genjutsu was still strong enough to hide the initial throw of the stone.

It seemed the man was still caught up in the chase. In under a second he had disappeared towards the sound in a blur. The metal particles of his cloak ripping through leaves in the distance.

Quickly she shot up from her position and ran. Twigs slashed at her bare thighs. The last bit of her braid was yanked out as she brushed past a cluster of tightly knit branches. The mark on her thigh burned painfully. At this point she did not care if she made any noise. Her main objective was to get away. Far away. All those grueling hours with her sensei were pointless in the wake of her immediate terror.

Faster than she could comprehend a black shape materialized in front of her. She ran straight into a solid chest. A hand was over her mouth cutting off her desperate cry. She tried to wrench herself away. All her attempts at freedom were easily parried. She was spun around causing the air to leave her lungs as her back slammed into a hard chest once more. There was an arm pinning hers to her side. She could see a few tendrils of onyx hair brush over her shoulder.

The figure behind her tensed as he assessed the damage. The shredded clothes barely hanging onto her frame, the blood, the bruises, her mussed hair loose from its usual braid…the bite marks… _both_ of them. The firm grip kept her upright as her knees buckled with the sudden surge from one of her marks. His grip tightened almost painfully for a brief moment. There were two malevolent chakra signatures approaching at inhuman speed.

"I almost didn't recognize you without your pink hair." He chuckled lowly. Then in a deadly tone, "My traps will not keep them long. We are getting out of here…. You're safe now."

An enraged howl broke through the night. The shadows seemed to solidify into darker shapes that ripped up the trees blocking their path. From the new opening an iron claw rushed towards them. Her world titled on its axis when he swept her up; instinctively knowing she was too drained to hold her own any longer. As the world began to swirl away, she finally gave into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: This is not beta read and rough. I hope you enjoy though. May tinker with it a bit, since I'm not too happy with it._ **

**_As always, the characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto . Enjoy!_ **

* * *

_The sound of rapid footsteps filled her ears. The noise of the village marketplace seemed to blend into the background. She was running. She always seemed to be running. The young teen's cheeks were glistening in the wake of the tears that streaked down her face. Her nose was stuffy making it hard for her to catch her breath, let alone think._

 _The other kids in the village had been making fun of her hair. They called her weak. They called her a bastard. They called her a monster._

 _A muffled sob left her lips. She pushed her legs to carry her faster._

 _Then came the rocks. The first one struck her face, the next, her arm. When the pain had registered, she fled. Her dainty feet taking her as far as they could. The dress the Otokage gifted her for her birthday was muddy. It was the only nice piece of clothing she had. Now, it was ruined. Her shoes had a broken strap. A bruise was forming on her slightly wider than average forehead; another trait of her mother's she would later learn. The slight throbbing only fueled the dam that broke. Villagers were shoved out of the way as she ran through the streets._

" _Watch where you're going!" shouted the elderly man she had run into._

 _Weakness was the worst kind of filth here. The weak were killed off. They only hindered the growth of the village. They were an annoyance to be dealt with, or so her instructor had said. She just began training to be a shinobi with all the other kids. She had started later, due to her circumstances. A transfer student, the Otokage had informed them._

 _Only the strongest could work with the Otokage. He was so strong, a Sanin. His son was also strong; at such a young age. She wanted to be strong just like them. Strong enough to defend herself. Strong enough to beat the other kids. Strong enough to find her parents. Ask them why…_

" _You're never going to be a shinobi if you cry like a baby!"_

" _Yea! You freak, get out of our village! We don't need any dirty orphans here!"_

" _You only bring Mitsuki's team down!"_

 _The taunting finally faded into the background. The bushes she ran through dwarfed her, creating a physical barrier between her and their words. Frantic hands swiped at the shrubbery in vain. The branches and thorns scraped her face. Welts appeared in their wake. The hedge gave way to a dirt path. Still, she continued on mindlessly. Blood rushed through her ears and distorted the noises around her. A sob caught in her throat._

" _I am never going to be strong enough," echoed throughout her mind. Self-hatred and disgust got the better of her. "this is the last time I am running from anything!" She promised herself._

 _A strangled gasp caused her steps to falter. The seal on her upper back begun to burn. She almost forgot it was there. How could she have let that slip her mind? It was what marked her as a monster. It was what set her apart from all the others; her team, her class, her village. It was her initiation into Sound. Forever marking her as an outsider._

 _She shot through the line of trees and onto another dirt path. The giant walls a head marked the entrance to the village. The gate was open in the distance, the normal guards seemed distracted for one reason or another. They didn't even look up as the young teen rushed out of the village. They had better things to do than babysit. Besides, no one really cared, just one less mouth to feed._

 _when she finally came to a stop, her skin was clammy with sweat and dried tears. She bent at the waist and gasped for breath. It felt as though she had been running for hours. Her back burned from the pressure of the seal and her legs trembled. The physical and mental exhaustion was finally taking its toll._

 _She took in her new environment. The trees were a bit fuller, their leaves still clung to the branches despite the crisp autumn air. She had to be a good couple of kilometers outside of the village. Gathering herself, she strode towards the slight break in the trees ahead. Sound, at her back, she had only lived there for a couple of years and it had never felt like home._

 _The trees gave way to a small clearing. A pool of water was surrounded by a few rocks, sunlight filtering through the canopy casting a warm glow on the scene. Directly in front of her was a makeshift camp. The faint smell of burning wood and something a bit earthier still permeated the air. A blanket was thrown over one of the rocks with a canteen to the side._

 _Gently, like she had been taught, she opened her senses and let her chakra expand outward. There was no flicker of life in the immediate surrounding. She let some of the tension leave her body._

" _Strange," cautiously she approached the camp. Whoever left surely wouldn't notice if she stole a sip of their water. Her mouth was bone dry. She knew she was dehydrated, and the thought of drinking stagnate water was unappealing. Upon closer inspection she realized the cloth was a cloak. There was an odd design on it; black with red clouds. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, she paid it no mind. Her hands snatched up the canteen. Her thirst had drowned out all reason._

" _It's unwise to take drinks from strangers, girl." The honeyed voice startled her; causing the canteen to slip from her fingers._

* * *

"Hidan, if you don't leave he is going to be pissed." A voice cut through the fog in her head. The door that slammed caused a fresh wave of pain to flood her system.

Where am I? her body whole body felt heavy as she tried to mentally collect herself.

"Priest. I told you to leave." The deep honeyed voice bit out sharply. She could almost imagine the venom as it dripped from his words.

"I am not fucking going anywhere you heathen. I fucking hate repeating myself." A faint sound of metal scratching along the floor caused her heart rate to quicken for an instant. Memories flickered through her mind's eye before she could shut them out.

"I am quickly losing my patience with you." There was a tearing sound. A knife cutting through cloth. Cool air from the room suddenly caressed the flesh of her left leg. The scraps of her tattered pantleg silently fell to the ground. "Get out of my room brat."

"Jashin's essence is all over Princess here, so no. I'm not fucking leaving until I find out what the hell happened!"

A barely suppressed growl vibrated the solid surface under her. There was a pressure on her leg as a hand flexed in anger.

 _What did Hidan's god have to do with this?_ She tried to keep her brow from wrinkling in confusion.

"Hidan, just leave already." The voice was back. "You have been scowling in that corner for over an hour. The dark chakra your emitting is becoming distracting. Once Sasori-san patches her up, we all figure out what in god's name happened."

"Heathen! You know nothing of -"

"No." Sasori interrupted, his voice deepened in anger. "You will not go near her again. You are to stay away from her, Priest."

The dark chuckle caused the muscles of her back to tighten ever so slightly. The sound of a chain clanging with due to a sudden motion echoed in the room. Hidan shot forward towards Sasori and the woman.

"Wouldn't you like to fucking know how clo -"

"Shisui, get him out of here. The antidote is finally taking. I need to make another batch and finish up here. We can discuss where you were during her…altercation, at a later time."

A sigh was heard followed by a scuffle.

"Get the fuck off me kid. I ain't going no fu-" the slamming door cut him off.

The air seemed to grow thicker with the silence. She became painfully aware of her state. The smooth surface under her was flush against the skin of her back. The chill steeping from it was a stark contrast to the soft material that covered her bare chest. She could still feel the scraps of her shinobi pants that clung to her other leg. The room had a familiar chill. One that was to be expected when the owner of said room required no humanly comforts.

"I know you're awake." Sasori cut through her musing. "You have taken long enough; and you know how I hate to be kept waiting." The grip on her leg moved up towards her knee. The touch causing her to become hyper-aware; heat flooded her system. The slight sting that extended from her shoulder and thigh startled her.

 _The marks!_ The chain of events came back to her in full.

Slowly, she forced her eyes open, a groan falling from her soft lips. The material on her chest slipped a bit as she struggled to support herself with her elbows. A firm hand placed itself on her chest, then pushed her back down. The touch a bit gentler than usual.

As she took in her surroundings, her suspicions were confirmed. This was her sensei's room. Puppets and polished wood decorated the walls. His tools littered a table across the room. She was on his bed…or at least, his primary work table. After all, he didn't really need a functioning bed if he rarely slept.

During her observation she didn't realize he had moved. Sasori had situated himself slightly between her legs now. His grip adjusted to bend her left knee up and guided it to the side as he inspected the bite mark on her inner thigh. Her face flushed a bit in embarrassment. The intimacy of the position was ruined only by the impassive look that graced his doll-like face. He body language gave way to his indifference to the precarious situation he had put them in. She slowly regained her composure and allowed her shoulders to relax against the fine grain of the table. It had almost been 11 years, she should be use to his unusual way of handling her by now.

First, it was as if she were a doll. Something he could make pretty. Slowly it changed. Almost like she was something he cherished. At one point, she had hoped for more. That was a childhood crush; spurred on by the first signs of any affection. However, she was wise enough to know different. It was only because of their deal that he maintained a semblance of interest. He couldn't let the goods become too damaged.

His silence gave way to a bit of anxiety. Usually, his presence did not invoke any fear or discomfort. There was something off with him at the moment though. Upon closer inspection, she could see something flickering through his eyes. He was anything but indifferent. There was a growing darkness within the rustic orbs that she had only witnessed in her direction once before.

 _He is pissed._ Trepidation slithered up her spine causing her to stiffen once more.

"What, pray tell, were you doing out on a mission?" He all but hissed. "I told you, no more chasing after Orochimaru. You are to stay here. In THIS time, in THIS dimension. Did you not learn your lesson? The only reason you were not lost last time was because of ME. I had to use part of your heart to track you down." He clenched his fists causing his wooden hands to creak under the pressure. If he had been human his nails would have drawn blood.

It wasn't often that he cared about anything. In fact, she had been sure he did not care for her – at least, this version did not. The resemblance she had to her mother – the woman who killed him – was the only thing that prevented him from killing her on sight. Curiosity, made him take her in. Amusement, made him train her. She was his living puppet. Something pretty he could turn into something deadly. Pride, she was sure, is what kept her alive for so long. She was his only pupil; he had never taken on another. From her understanding, in any of the different dimensions Akatsuki had dragged her through; and there had been many. The jutsu was difficult to preform, it required mass amounts of chakra, but she and Shisui were the best at it.

Besides, they had their deal. The glue that kept him by her side. When she died, would make her into one of his puppets. The price for all his kindness. It is also why he had taken part of her heart. You needed some type of connection to locate someone using the Time-Space Jutsu. Almost like a homing beacon. If she were to die on one of her missions, in a different time or dimension, he would be able to locate her. If her heart was damaged, he had a piece he could use to rebind and revive her as a puppet.

Sasori hovered directly over her now. The mesh of his shirt brushed against the material on her chest. Fingers glided over her forehead and down her cheek. The gesture turned almost affectionate as his fingers gently followed the curve of her neck before stopping at the bite mark before him. The touch left goosebumps in its wake. His hands were cool and smooth. The scent of fresh polishing oils and herbs assaulted flooded her senses. He tilted his head to the side as he inspected the juncture between her neck and shoulder. After a moment of hesitation, her abandoned his position to finger a lock of her hair.

 _I wonder how long he has been back. I was sure I had enough time to complete the mission before he returned. He should have been oblivious._ She pondered. He had been assigned a long term mission when Shisui had gotten the tip off on Orochimaru. After informing her, they had been gone within the hour. If Sasori had been around, he would have locked her up to prevent her from going.

"It's not a henge." A slight frown distorted his perfect face.

"I was tired of the pink. It was becoming a hindrance during the mission." _In general,_ she added to herself. _It still raises too many questions and gathers unwanted attention. No matter which dimension or time I run to._

"Dye?" He implored.

She didn't understand his strange behavior; talking so much and focusing on her hair. Honestly, she expected to be barred from the organization or forced into a sparring match again. She had no part in the Akatsuki. Sasori was her master here. Occasionally, her goals coincided with Leader's, so she was allowed to tag along. It cut back on man power needed and casualties. If something went wrong, they would only be down one member, not two. Still, his strange behavior was setting off an internal alarm.

"No, I altered the amount of pheomelanin and eumelanin in my genetic code. It was a trial run for the medical ninjutsu I have been tinkering with. It's pretty cool, although, a bit superficial at the moment. If I can work out the kinks. I should be able to change up certain genetic traits on a molecular level, allowing less dominant traits from the other parent to come to the surface. Once perfected, it could allow someone to access bloodline limits and hidden characteristics that were buried within their genetic code. I could access their code internally once they ingest a drop of my blood that has been infused with my chakra. Once it is in their system, I could force the dominant chromosomes to become dormant. Thus, allowing the other trait to become dominant and take over. There are still a few, dangerous side effects. It is a work in progress though." She stopped suddenly. "So…I got my dad's blonde hair…but, the pink is a stubborn mutation. It's more of a dark auburn blonde now." She rambled on. Sasori's presence becoming distracting.

His touch held an undertone of intimacy that she had not felt from him since her previous mission. Before this colossal disaster. She had come across him in a different time. He had been human there and had taken a different kind of interest in her. Shisui had been unable to locate her. In his panic, he left and had returned with back up. Sasori had been forced to use _his_ piece of her heart to locate her. Once, he had pieced together why she had been avoiding him after her rescue, he flipped. Especially, since he and Deidara had to abandon their mission to get her back. It's not like she had been a scared virgin being well over the age of consent by then; but that was a darker story. One best left buried; deep. Especially given his rage over his alternate for touching her…or her touching him.

That's the funny thing about all these Time – Space Jutsus. If you change something or deeply effect a person in that time, all their alternates will relive it as a dream; or in Sasori's case a lucid dream. Similar to a bad dream or passing thought, he should have been able to easily dismissed. It all seemed hard to believe, but trial and error had solidified the theory. Just one more ramification of the jutsu. Itachi had a similar occurrence when Shisui had broken down to one of his alternates and confessed to being his son; from a different dimension. He had been trying to convince Itachi there was a better path to follow. When Sasori realized the similarities between his experience and Itachi's, all hell broke loose.

That had been the first time she had personally experienced his rage. Once he realized the dream he "re-lived" had been an actual experience from his alternate. The sparing session he initiated had been vicious. He had slapped chakra repressors on her and it had taken weeks to heal. Sasori refused to help and Kakuzu and Hidan had been out on a mission. Deidara had joked that Sasori had thrown a jealous fit. After, there were times when she would catch him staring at her with an unreadable, dark look in his eyes. She wasn't naive enough to entertain thoughts of him having an interest in her. She knew better. He was just pissed; probably still is. He became a puppet to overcome all the restrains and weaknesses of humanity after all. Once the waters had calmed, the incident was deemed taboo; no one spoke of it.

"It's still beautiful. Not Unique like the pink, but natural and enchanting none the less. I think I will keep this in mind for your puppet." His musing brought her out of the past. He swept his fingers through her long hair as he distanced himself. The movement causing a pleasant tingling and her cheeks warmed. Another angry sting shot from her marks. A sense of foreboding filled her gut at the sensation.

 _What is wrong with me today?_ She berated herself.

He had moved towards the side of the room where she knew he kept his poisons. The sound of herbs being crushed and liquid swirling in beakers filled the silence.

"What have I told you about taking drinks from strangers, girl."

She winced. Embarrassment filled her chest and chased the feeling in her gut away. She was supposed to be smarter than that. Usually, she felt like a bit of a genius. However, her rookie actions seemed to negate that. Maybe she just had a knack for the medical field and adapt at creating jutsus?

 _Hell, if I had most of my chakra during the last mission, I would have been able to heal myself. Not to mention wipe the floor with those assholes. They definitely wouldn't have been able to achieve half of what they did if that had been the case._

Sasori observed the attractive frown that marred her face. He had cleaned her up the little he could with the Priest haunting the corner of his room. Hidan had been acting strange around his charge since she turned eighteen. Ever since they had shown up bloody after the mission Leader-sama sent the two of them on. At the time he didn't think much of it. It had been a few years now, and the behavior had not changed. He was starting to collect pieces to a bigger puzzle. He also had a suspicion that the recent events may have had something to do with the Priest as well…if not, then it was Jashin. His unholy god.

"I don't like waiting, girl. Answer the question." He was growing tired of her silent demeanor.

"I don't remember you asking a question. It was more of a statement, old man." She sassed back as she slid her legs over the edge of the makeshift bed. He could see part of the scorpion he tattooed on her right ankle. So they would know she was his. Then, the material at her chest fell, presenting him with a small glimpse of dusty pink nipples. Her arm moved to keep maintain her semblance of modesty while she used the other to push herself off the bed.

Her legs buckled and she started to collapse. Chakra strings swiftly wrapped around her, helping her regain her footing. He continued to working over his concoction without sparing a backwards glance. He could hear her grumble as she rummaged through some of the clothes in his closet. Most likely looking for a shirt. Hers had been destroyed before Shisui had shown up at his door.

 _They slipped her an aphrodisiac_. The thought echoed in his mind as the sample turned blue with her blood. Something buried deep within him started to rage. Shaking his head, he dismissed the odd emotion. He was above trivial human setbacks. He would find a way to punish her from her short comings later. For now, she had to heal, and he had…things to sort out.

He had invested too much time into this one to let some children take her away. Her training would need to be revisited. He could not allow this weakness to flourish. She was made to be his. The main piece in his collection. He even held a piece of her heart so he would know her state and be able to track her down throughout the ages. She was his. Body and soul, and when she died, he would turn her into a piece of art. Nothing fleeting like his partner's. She would become an embodiment of _his_ art. His perfect companion.

"Thank you Saso-sensei."

He internally cringed at her childhood nickname for him. He would correct her of that soon enough as well.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO PRINCESS?!" A yell and loud banging interrupted his train of thought. Kisame proceeded to slam his door open and shout again. His huge frame demanding attention. It seemed as though Kisame had run into Shisui on his way back, or had overheard a conversation between the Uchihas.

"Ano…Kisame-kun, please lower your voice. My head still hurts." She whined and put her hands to her temples. She was actually glad to see the blue Akatsuki member. They had grown a bit close during her time here. Bonding over alcohol and similar values. Always arguing over who was stronger. It was definitely an odd friendship.

"What happened Sayuri-chan? What the hell is with the hair?!" Kisame directed at her. Blocking the entrance to Sasori's room and taking in her appearance. She had stolen one of Sasori's black shirts. The dark color contrasted with her blonde hair. It also made the bruises that decorated her arms and bare leg stand out. She had a slight flush to her cheeks that could suggest a fever. Ravaged. That is how she looked; like a broken doll.

"I was tired of the pink" she laughed off, not meeting his eyes. "I'm fine otherwise. You should see the other guy." Her lame attempt at differing the question was not lost on either of the males.

Sasori glared as he moved towards her side. He wasn't going to force her to explain what happened just yet. If the marks and aphrodisiac in her system were any indication. He had a good idea of what had transpired. Sayuri needed to acknowledge the events. Burying the memories was not going to help her in the long run. The marks she bore held traces of two different chakra signatures. Each of which forced their chakra through the marks and fused it to her own chakra system. He grasped her arm and put the beaker in her hand.

"Drink this, and go clean up. The poison will be out of your system within the next hour."

Sayuri tossed back the antidote without another thought. Instantly, the liquid caused the flush on her skin to fade. The slight fog left her head cleared and the throbbing stopped. A sigh of relief fell from her lips as she thanked Sasori.

 _There is something fishy going on here._ Kisame watched their interaction with narrowing eyes. _I'll get a few drinks in her to loosen her up. Then she will tell me what happened. She likes to act tough around the red head._

"Come on princess, looks like you need a drink. I bet there is some sake in the kitchen." He said as she walked towards him.

"Thanks, Shark-face, I could definitely use it." Sayuri's blue eyes brightened at her jab. Kisame winced at the nickname.

"Only you kid." A fake snarl twisted his lips.

"Although, I think a shower first may be best. I'll meet you in the kitchen in 20."

"The hell! 20 minutes!" Kisame's tirade was cut off by the look on Sayuri's face. "Fine, fine, you stink anyway. What is that? Tanuki? Blood? Smoke? Can't have that smelling up the base." He continued, almost missing her form go ridged and the color drain from her face.

She swiftly snuffed the panic that flared up at his words. Once again painfully aware of the marks she had. She needed a shower. A hot one. Something to wash the feel of their hands, of their mouths, off her. Her fake smile fooled no one as she turned towards Sasori.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble Sasori-sama-sensei," she said laying it on thick. Before grabbing Kisame's arm and dragging him down the hall.

Sasori lingered for a moment as he watched them walk away. Finally, he closed and locked his door. The proper traps falling into place. The only one who could pass through unharmed aside from himself was Sayuri. He would check in on her later. From now on, she was going to be on a short leash.

He found little comfort in the silence of his room. The puppets seemed to look at him with pity in their knowing eyes. He gave an uncharacteristic snort and turned back towards his work. A few moments later, the faint sound of water rushing through the old pipes could be heard.

 _Good_. He thought. _The faster the girl removes those brats' scents off her and heals herself, the less attention she will attract._

His organization was becoming too familiar with her. While it had been a necessary evil, it was not one he was fond of. The only members he did not mind around her were Kisame and Shisui. If he were not around, one of them would keep an eye on her. Shisui had failed in that aspect this time around. He would need to address that as well.

Something blue caught his eye once more. The beaker in his hand shattered from his tightening grip. Shards chipped at the freshly polished wood of his hands. This particular puppet host could not feel blue sample stared back at him almost mockingly. He was definitely going to tighten that leash.


End file.
